The present invention relates to a method for measuring components using a measurement system guided by a manipulator, preferably by a multi-axis working robot, and a corresponding device for measuring components, with a manipulator and a measurement system located on the manipulator such that the measurement system is movable in space using the manipulator. The present invention also relates to a component carrier for use in a method of this type.
Modern assembly and production processes are based increasingly on the use of assembly and production robots, the position of the actuators of which is changeable with a rotational motion around a large number of swivelling axes to achieve high spacial flexibility of motion of the robot. The production processes, which are becoming increasingly complex, also place high requirements on the precision of motion of the robot actuators. As the number of swivelling axes increases, the precision of motion drops off considerably in some cases. This behavior is due substantially to the large number of robot components and their component tolerances, and the increasing number of swivel axis bearings and their bearing play. To enable robotic systems of this type to perform highly precise motions nonetheless, they must be readjusted in some cases at defined time intervals using very complex calibration procedures.
Extensive effort was made in the past to simplify these calibration procedures. A calibration procedure of this type was made known in EP 1 302 285, for example, which discloses an effective yet simply designed calibration procedure for readjusting robot movements based on complex mathematical relationships. Due to the complex mathematical relationships and the high technical complexity required in some cases to implement the procedure, calibration procedures of this type are unsuitable for improving the precision of movement of assembly and production robots to such an extent such that actuators can be assigned to them that enable highly precise measurements of components, however, particularly in light of the constantly changing environmental conditions in the working environment of the robots. To perform highly precise measurements of components, measurement methods have therefore become established that are carried out in “measurement rooms” under laboratory conditions. In addition to the large amount of time required to carry out measurement methods of this type, they have the primary disadvantage of being limited in terms of their ability to be integrated in assembly or production lines. In contrast, robot systems with sensors that can carry out highly precise measurements would be well suited for integration in assembly and production lines, but the fact that the precision of the movement of the robot segments is inadequate prevents integration of this type.
A task of the present invention, therefore, is to provide a method and a device for measuring components with a manipulator-driven, in particular robot-driven, measurement system, the method and device preventing the described disadvantages of the related art and combining the great flexibility of movement of manipulators, in particular robot systems, with the measurement accuracy of highly precise measurement procedures.